Fantastic! Thank you. I still watch the original version. When it first came out I watched them all over and over until the end of the series. I still check certain episodes when I feel I need to refine that area. This new series is going to be great!! Thank you!
I am happy that you should do this updated version. I thought a few times that the understanding you displayed in some of your more recent videos was on another level than your lecture series. As you said, not that the lecture series was incorrect at all, but just not always as inspirational and mind-blowingly clear as some of your recent content! This video also coincides with a determination I took yesterday. Despite my past attempts to give up UA-cam for entertainment, I am still very addicted and I even relapsed into playing video games after months of complete renunciation. I feel better when my mind is free from these addictions (playing video games is not so much the issue as I am very moderate, but my addiction is to pc hardware). So I will take on the following renunciation for the duration of your course: no video games under any form and no UA-cam videos besides a select few Buddhist channels. May I be as successful as with alcohol renunciation (ongoing 26 months) and no killing (insects, let alone bigger animals, ongoing 15-16 months).
I’m looking forward to the new series. I have been practicing regularly for over 20 years and have definitely made progress, yet your explanation of virtue was an eye-opener for me. It has the ring of truth. Thank you for sharing what you have learned! Much metta to you…
Excellent, I was hoping that you might do something like that ! I can see in my case how very confusing an quite unhelpful is when dhamma teachers making dhamma so complicated and complex, dissecting every word and every sutta making things really confusing. This may be working for some people, but other could be put off by this approach. I found very helpful when I understood that Buddha couldn't teach this way and none of his disciples could have studied this way, simply because there was no written suttas back than, no schools of Buddhism and all they had was probably hearing one or few teachings, if they were lucky and that's it. So all they could do was practice, so they practiced and got enlightened. Today we can study Buddhism or we can practice and these are two very different things, studying dhamma you can become good student, practicing will get you out of this suffering mess. Thank you for taking your time trying to help us.
This will help light the world, truly. Thank-you! I do see your videos, Florian, as a real treasure, a true gem. When put into practice, it is utterly sublime, the harmonious flow of growing peace that begins and gains strength. Yet, if I could quote a suggestion that you have had by another user, as I feel it is very good advice to even future improve your channel and those that will benefit from it: "I do think you could be much less theoretical and more precise in what practitioner's do in a day, what their lives actually look like, how they deal with mundane problems, etc. Your work is good but it sometimes seems you don't want to get in "under the hood" of certain questions and problems. Citing suttas is fine; but also ******citing real life****** could be much more illustrative." If I could advise you in any way with your channel and teaching style, Florian, especially as you begin a series of videos on the Dhamma, it would just be this: have very specific examples of situations a householder would find themselves in, and applying the Dhamma teaching you are describing to that situation. Not everyone will find themselves or could find themselves in that situation, that is true, but the mind has a way to 'sense' that same meaning in our own lives - ONLY when given a practical example. I know for myself, this is why I find a certain channel on YT on the Dhamma so deeply helpful as well - they are very willing to give examples, and the entirety of what they have "theoretically elaborated" is recognized *as it is applied to daily life*. For example, in the Q&A video recently, you had asked Saif, for a "practical" instruction on what he described as a daily morning schedule that included recollection of the Dhamma. The description he gave was a guideline that was so useful, applicable, manageable, actionable, speaking of real-life steps, as complementary to the general guidance given before. The video was: "QnA 27 - on Work Absorption, Nature & Special Stream Entry 'Methods'" at timestamp: 6:58 I really look forward to your new Dhamma Lectures. Blessings
I am aware that a lot of this sounds kinda "abstract" but the problem is that you cannot really get any more precise without losing "generality". If you would give specific examples I would have to say in many cases that "this does not universally apply". And in such cases, I cannot even tell you if it applies to you or not! Such "inidividual advice" can only really be given by a teacher to an individual that he knows very well. UA-cam is sadly not a very good place for that as I do not know my audience. That said, people can always write me in person and I can very much give such advice there after some time. Even the guideline from Saif you mentioned is sadly not universally applicable^^
A glad mind is a mind that gradually leaves craving behind on a superficial level. You gladden it by seeing the drawbacks of sensuality and notice that you do not have to be a slave to this - but I will go into much more depth later
Many thanks Flaus for the lectures. They are invaluable 🙏I've made my way through your first lecture series and I've started going over lectures 9 to 17 for further clarification. Shall I carry on or wait for this new version? Also, I'd like to ask a question if I may? I feel with your help and that of HH, I have an good grasp of what's required to fulfil mundane right view, and how, with practice it leads to supra mundane right view. One thing that's is very much a mystery to me, is how supra mundane right view leads to safety from rebirth in realms lower than this one. Is this just taken on faith because the Buddha stated it as such?
You can listen to the old ones if you wish but I hope the new ones will be more digestible. Concerning rebirth, I would put the question aside as you likely wont find a satisfying answer until you actually attain the Right View!
I’ll venture an answer to your rebirth question. I think that what you can see for yourself in this very life, is that you can no longer be "reborn" in lower states of consciousness. Your mind just doesn’t swing to such extremes anymore or quickly snaps out of it. And if there is rebirth, it can be infered that such destinations no longer apply to you.
@@brianl9419 Yes, this is something that can be seen with the Right practice. A few years ago, before I finally found the right view, someone upset me very much. He insulted me (online) in the harshest way possible. This got me proper angry. I wanted to hurt him and this desire for vengeance stayed with me for many months. It was my focus why lifting weights and gaining mass. I put on 10kg+ and visualised myself smashing his skull open with my fist. I was waiting for the opportunity to come across him. Crazy, right!? I don't know if I would have done it, but I let my thoughts freely run with hatred and ill-will. Nowadays, my mind simply cannot go to such extremes of hatred. If there is rebirth, I can see how I was previously opening myself to hell whereas I can see how I would be much less likely to end up in such a woeful place. Sometimes, I can see this hatred surface. But it is quickly dispelled. I couldn't possibly nurture such anger for several minutes, let alone days and weeks like I did then. It's just impossible.
@@brianl9419 I gave you an answer from personal experience explaining how I had been under the sway of hatred in the past (giving a detailed example) but it looks like the details of the extent of my anger was too much for UA-cam. It was deleted! Basically just wanted to show how I let ill-will run freely in the past, which would be impossible now. I do get flare-ups of anger from time to time, but they get dispelled quickly. I couldnt nurture it for several minutes, let alone for days or weeks like I did on many occasions in the past. It's impossible now. This is how can see that hell is less and less likely a destination for me.
Glad to see a channel on Early Buddhism, there is always need for them. But something is troubling me. Why aren't you a monk? I would like to explore this seemingly valuable channel, but this question is making me doubt its trustworthiness. Would you be so kind to answer this rather personal and maybe inappropiate question? Thankyou
@@TheDhammaHub I am a bit dumbfounded by your answer. On one hand I understand that you devote an enormous amount of time and effort to share your wisdom for free and receive, what you may perceive as suspicious scrutiny or nosy inquiries about your motivations in return. On the other hand you did share a lot of details about your personal life in this presentation, as I understand, in the spirit of openess and validation of your views. Besides, that is a perfectly valid question, as you stress elimination of craving and attachment as the most important part of the teaching, and buddhism in the west has a surprisingly poor record of teachers ultimately practicing what they preach. I daresay this is the main factor in disillusionment with the "mainstream" western buddhist communities, which leads people to channels like yours. All things aside, there may be many reasons why devoted followers of a buddhist path might not ordain. For me it's a huge decision, from which there might not be a simple return, besides there is lack of clarity where would it be best to ordain. In eastern monasteries there is a potential language barrier and probable poor living conditions that might not facilitate practice (story of Nanavira is a good example), western ones are more and more poisoned with woke ideology and social issues and I fear that might not be helpful in the long run either. That's a topic worthy of a discussion.
DR Florian your play list for this lecture series is out of order. The introductionary video is appearing in the fourth spot or currently the last spot out of the currently released four videos. Hope you see this comment so others who are not familiar with your work can understand better what you are aiming at. 🙏
When you do create guided exercises, can you include them in the lecture but also add them as an independent video after the series is finished? So guided exercises can be all together in a video.
I will think about it if it makes sense to add them as a separate video. Maybe I will make a document that contains links with timestamps to them or something!
I'm confused. I've read the almanac but not done the series before. Should I start the playlist available or are you re uploading a new version of the course?
I am in the process of recording the second version of this lecture. I would just watch the new videos as they drop. The Almanac is my self improvement book btw, I also have one on meditation!
As mentioned in the beginning, I wanted to make this as accessible as possible and I am really not a big fan of Nanavira when it comes to that. While I agree with him and understand what he writes, I do not think that his words can "land" for many people. As for Thanissaro, he was simply the entry on the list I was least passionate about. I do agree with many of his takes on wisdom and mindfulness etc but I very strictly disagree with his teachings on concentration
@@TheDhammaHub Does that mean that you’ll try to further simplify / ‘popularize’ your lectures to make them even more digestible then? And I take it, this second version comes out after you similarly revised your book?
@@Limemill Well, I do not think the approach overall will be more popular as it very much goes against the grain. Yet, I think it can very much be more "straightforward" and simply better catered to the zeitgeist of people. When it comes to the book, I simply update it whenever I feel like it or when I feel like I have encountered problems with an approach that was not "balanced" enough. That said, there is no fixed schedule for that^^ It is just that all the small changes kept adding up and the lecture and the book kept moving apart more and more. It is just that a lecture is much harder to quickly "fix" compared to a pdf!
Thank you for your continued compassion and teachings.
Still watch and rewatch your original version. Best wishes for this series.
Fantastic! Thank you. I still watch the original version. When it first came out I watched them all over and over until the end of the series. I still check certain episodes when I feel I need to refine that area. This new series is going to be great!! Thank you!
Im looking forward to what is coming!
Nice. Arrived just in time for the new series.
I am happy that you should do this updated version. I thought a few times that the understanding you displayed in some of your more recent videos was on another level than your lecture series. As you said, not that the lecture series was incorrect at all, but just not always as inspirational and mind-blowingly clear as some of your recent content!
This video also coincides with a determination I took yesterday. Despite my past attempts to give up UA-cam for entertainment, I am still very addicted and I even relapsed into playing video games after months of complete renunciation. I feel better when my mind is free from these addictions (playing video games is not so much the issue as I am very moderate, but my addiction is to pc hardware).
So I will take on the following renunciation for the duration of your course: no video games under any form and no UA-cam videos besides a select few Buddhist channels.
May I be as successful as with alcohol renunciation (ongoing 26 months) and no killing (insects, let alone bigger animals, ongoing 15-16 months).
I’m looking forward to the new series. I have been practicing regularly for over 20 years and have definitely made progress, yet your explanation of virtue was an eye-opener for me. It has the ring of truth. Thank you for sharing what you have learned! Much metta to you…
Glad you're doing this. I look forward to following along!
Admirable effort, best wishes for an uplifting teaching for you and an insightful learning for us!
Excellent, I was hoping that you might do something like that ! I can see in my case how very confusing an quite unhelpful is when dhamma teachers making dhamma so complicated and complex, dissecting every word and every sutta making things really confusing. This may be working for some people, but other could be put off by this approach. I found very helpful when I understood that Buddha couldn't teach this way and none of his disciples could have studied this way, simply because there was no written suttas back than, no schools of Buddhism and all they had was probably hearing one or few teachings, if they were lucky and that's it. So all they could do was practice, so they practiced and got enlightened. Today we can study Buddhism or we can practice and these are two very different things, studying dhamma you can become good student, practicing will get you out of this suffering mess. Thank you for taking your time trying to help us.
This will help light the world, truly. Thank-you!
I do see your videos, Florian, as a real treasure, a true gem. When put into practice, it is utterly sublime, the harmonious flow of growing peace that begins and gains strength.
Yet, if I could quote a suggestion that you have had by another user, as I feel it is very good advice to even future improve your channel and those that will benefit from it:
"I do think you could be much less theoretical and more precise in what practitioner's do in a day, what their lives actually look like, how they deal with mundane problems, etc. Your work is good but it sometimes seems you don't want to get in "under the hood" of certain questions and problems. Citing suttas is fine; but also ******citing real life****** could be much more illustrative."
If I could advise you in any way with your channel and teaching style, Florian, especially as you begin a series of videos on the Dhamma, it would just be this: have very specific examples of situations a householder would find themselves in, and applying the Dhamma teaching you are describing to that situation. Not everyone will find themselves or could find themselves in that situation, that is true, but the mind has a way to 'sense' that same meaning in our own lives - ONLY when given a practical example. I know for myself, this is why I find a certain channel on YT on the Dhamma so deeply helpful as well - they are very willing to give examples, and the entirety of what they have "theoretically elaborated" is recognized *as it is applied to daily life*.
For example, in the Q&A video recently, you had asked Saif, for a "practical" instruction on what he described as a daily morning schedule that included recollection of the Dhamma. The description he gave was a guideline that was so useful, applicable, manageable, actionable, speaking of real-life steps, as complementary to the general guidance given before. The video was: "QnA 27 - on Work Absorption, Nature & Special Stream Entry 'Methods'" at timestamp: 6:58
I really look forward to your new Dhamma Lectures. Blessings
I am aware that a lot of this sounds kinda "abstract" but the problem is that you cannot really get any more precise without losing "generality". If you would give specific examples I would have to say in many cases that "this does not universally apply". And in such cases, I cannot even tell you if it applies to you or not! Such "inidividual advice" can only really be given by a teacher to an individual that he knows very well. UA-cam is sadly not a very good place for that as I do not know my audience. That said, people can always write me in person and I can very much give such advice there after some time.
Even the guideline from Saif you mentioned is sadly not universally applicable^^
Thank you. Renewing my interest in the dhamma.
Cool, looking forward to it
can you explain further what you mean with glad mind? and what step or how to prepare the mind to be glad?
A glad mind is a mind that gradually leaves craving behind on a superficial level. You gladden it by seeing the drawbacks of sensuality and notice that you do not have to be a slave to this - but I will go into much more depth later
Great timing. Wish I could explain. But what time is NOT good for this topic?
Many thanks Flaus for the lectures. They are invaluable 🙏I've made my way through your first lecture series and I've started going over lectures 9 to 17 for further clarification. Shall I carry on or wait for this new version? Also, I'd like to ask a question if I may? I feel with your help and that of HH, I have an good grasp of what's required to fulfil mundane right view, and how, with practice it leads to supra mundane right view. One thing that's is very much a mystery to me, is how supra mundane right view leads to safety from rebirth in realms lower than this one. Is this just taken on faith because the Buddha stated it as such?
You can listen to the old ones if you wish but I hope the new ones will be more digestible.
Concerning rebirth, I would put the question aside as you likely wont find a satisfying answer until you actually attain the Right View!
I’ll venture an answer to your rebirth question. I think that what you can see for yourself in this very life, is that you can no longer be "reborn" in lower states of consciousness. Your mind just doesn’t swing to such extremes anymore or quickly snaps out of it. And if there is rebirth, it can be infered that such destinations no longer apply to you.
Hi @@kzantal Many thanks for your reply. That's a very helpful and logical answer which goes some way to satisfying my curiosity.🙏
@@brianl9419 Yes, this is something that can be seen with the Right practice. A few years ago, before I finally found the right view, someone upset me very much. He insulted me (online) in the harshest way possible. This got me proper angry. I wanted to hurt him and this desire for vengeance stayed with me for many months. It was my focus why lifting weights and gaining mass. I put on 10kg+ and visualised myself smashing his skull open with my fist. I was waiting for the opportunity to come across him. Crazy, right!? I don't know if I would have done it, but I let my thoughts freely run with hatred and ill-will. Nowadays, my mind simply cannot go to such extremes of hatred. If there is rebirth, I can see how I was previously opening myself to hell whereas I can see how I would be much less likely to end up in such a woeful place.
Sometimes, I can see this hatred surface. But it is quickly dispelled. I couldn't possibly nurture such anger for several minutes, let alone days and weeks like I did then. It's just impossible.
@@brianl9419 I gave you an answer from personal experience explaining how I had been under the sway of hatred in the past (giving a detailed example) but it looks like the details of the extent of my anger was too much for UA-cam. It was deleted!
Basically just wanted to show how I let ill-will run freely in the past, which would be impossible now. I do get flare-ups of anger from time to time, but they get dispelled quickly. I couldnt nurture it for several minutes, let alone for days or weeks like I did on many occasions in the past. It's impossible now.
This is how can see that hell is less and less likely a destination for me.
Glad to see a channel on Early Buddhism, there is always need for them. But something is troubling me. Why aren't you a monk? I would like to explore this seemingly valuable channel, but this question is making me doubt its trustworthiness. Would you be so kind to answer this rather personal and maybe inappropiate question? Thankyou
People usually contact me privately if they want answers to private questions^^
@@TheDhammaHub I am a bit dumbfounded by your answer. On one hand I understand that you devote an enormous amount of time and effort to share your wisdom for free and receive, what you may perceive as suspicious scrutiny or nosy inquiries about your motivations in return. On the other hand you did share a lot of details about your personal life in this presentation, as I understand, in the spirit of openess and validation of your views. Besides, that is a perfectly valid question, as you stress elimination of craving and attachment as the most important part of the teaching, and buddhism in the west has a surprisingly poor record of teachers ultimately practicing what they preach. I daresay this is the main factor in disillusionment with the "mainstream" western buddhist communities, which leads people to channels like yours. All things aside, there may be many reasons why devoted followers of a buddhist path might not ordain. For me it's a huge decision, from which there might not be a simple return, besides there is lack of clarity where would it be best to ordain. In eastern monasteries there is a potential language barrier and probable poor living conditions that might not facilitate practice (story of Nanavira is a good example), western ones are more and more poisoned with woke ideology and social issues and I fear that might not be helpful in the long run either. That's a topic worthy of a discussion.
DR Florian your play list for this lecture series is out of order. The introductionary video is appearing in the fourth spot or currently the last spot out of the currently released four videos. Hope you see this comment so others who are not familiar with your work can understand better what you are aiming at. 🙏
Thanks for mentioning. I have to constantly reorder and sometimes forget, as every new video I release is automatically placed out of order
When you do create guided exercises, can you include them in the lecture but also add them as an independent video after the series is finished? So guided exercises can be all together in a video.
Also the story times are 💯💯💯
I will think about it if it makes sense to add them as a separate video. Maybe I will make a document that contains links with timestamps to them or something!
I'm confused. I've read the almanac but not done the series before. Should I start the playlist available or are you re uploading a new version of the course?
I am in the process of recording the second version of this lecture. I would just watch the new videos as they drop. The Almanac is my self improvement book btw, I also have one on meditation!
@@TheDhammaHubdidn’t realise it was separate will check it out
❤
I see that you downgraded Ven. Thanissaro and Nanavira Thera by removing them from the Lecture Foundation slide. Any particular reason for that?
As mentioned in the beginning, I wanted to make this as accessible as possible and I am really not a big fan of Nanavira when it comes to that. While I agree with him and understand what he writes, I do not think that his words can "land" for many people.
As for Thanissaro, he was simply the entry on the list I was least passionate about. I do agree with many of his takes on wisdom and mindfulness etc but I very strictly disagree with his teachings on concentration
@@TheDhammaHub Got it. Thank you!
@@TheDhammaHub Does that mean that you’ll try to further simplify / ‘popularize’ your lectures to make them even more digestible then? And I take it, this second version comes out after you similarly revised your book?
@@Limemill Well, I do not think the approach overall will be more popular as it very much goes against the grain. Yet, I think it can very much be more "straightforward" and simply better catered to the zeitgeist of people.
When it comes to the book, I simply update it whenever I feel like it or when I feel like I have encountered problems with an approach that was not "balanced" enough. That said, there is no fixed schedule for that^^ It is just that all the small changes kept adding up and the lecture and the book kept moving apart more and more. It is just that a lecture is much harder to quickly "fix" compared to a pdf!
@@TheDhammaHubInteresting, would you recommend re-reading the book? I didn't know you were changing it bit by bit.